Net Over Power Lines Gets FCC Nod

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Net Over Power Lines Gets FCC Nod

The United States is one step closer to jumping onto the internet through its electrical outlets.

The Federal Communications Commission has reaffirmed its intention to allow the implementation of broadband-over-power-line, or BPL, technology. It adopted a new set of orders (.pdf), released on Thursday.

Several groups had attempted to block BPL after the FCC gave the initial go-ahead in 2004. Much of the opposition to BPL comes from the amateur radio community, the television industry and the aeronautical industry. These groups claim that BPL can interfere with short-wave radio transmissions such as those used by ham-radio operators and TV stations.

The FCC agrees that BPL can cause interference, but not enough to warrant its censure.

BPL allows for access to the internet over the existing power grid, without the need for new cable infrastructure, and allows users to access the internet through common household electrical outlets. Rural areas, which are too sparsely populated to justify building cable or DSL infrastructure, have the most to gain from BPL.

The FCC order comes just as New York state is trying to expand internet availability, particularly into rural areas, with an announcement by Governor Pataki last week that $2.5 million is now available in grants for building internet infrastucture.

Industry analyst Frank Dzubeck, president of Communication Network Architects, said the next option for opposition groups is the courts.

"It's now up to the lobbying efforts and the legal beagles to take up the case," he said.

However, Dzubeck added that if the FCC were challenged further, the groups would likely agree a compromise because of the strength of the pro-BPL lobby.